Wounded Angel
by Brass Tacked
Summary: He had a normal childhood, a normal job, a normal life. Then one day changes it all and the idea of angels on earth doesn't seem so ludicrous anymore. RoyxEd, AU
1. A Bad Day

Warnings: yaoi, Ed x Roy pairing (if you don't like then don't read), swearing, and violence

Disclaimer: FMA is not mine, nor will it ever be regretfully.

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Hidden Angel: Chapter 1: A Bad Day

He sighed, looked over the glass doors and windows, read the signs proclaiming the durability and softness of the new left weave denim, took a deep breath, hoping it would wash away the dread inside of him, and opened the door to The Gap. It was nothing that he had not done before; in fact he did it just about everyday. It was one of the things that came hand in hand with working in the store. He did not understand how his fellow employees managed to do this almost everyday of their lives and not go insane. He had been working there for less than two months and already was fed up. It was the same thing everyday: fold the clothes, greet the customer, help the customer find that perfect pair of jeans (even if it meant lying through his teeth and saying that they looked great in the denim that was a size or two to small), then watch as that same customer destroyed the stack of shirts that he had just folded, go back to folding that same pile of clothes, and let the cycle repeat itself. Eight hours of that routine was enough to make anyone lose their mind.

"Hey Carly, how's it going today?" He gave a brief wave to the associate standing by the cash register in the kid's department. Not bothering to wait for her answer of 'Good, I just wish that customers would learn to clean up after themselves', he continued into the back room, passing that racks full of clothes that had yet to be back-stocked. With a resigned sigh he set to opening his locker, he had to put the combination in three times before it finally clicked and let him open the door. He threw his wallet, keys, phone, and Ipod into the small, gray space, grabbed his name tag, and slammed the grated door closed. Then he took a seat at the small break table and waited for twelve o'clock to roll around, there was still eight minutes of peace before his day of hell began.

Flipping through the latest issue of _InStyle Magazine_, he waited. The sound of walkies going off and Terri running stock checks alerted him that it was busy on the sales floor. A manager passed through once, giving him a brief hello on their way to the office. Bored with the magazine he stood up and started wandering, reading the employee appreciation cards taped to the wall, it was no surprise to see that none of them were addressed to him. Next he looked over the chart that tracked Gap Card applications processed by each employee. Jennifer already had twelve for the month, well past making her goal. Running down the list with his finger, he stopped when it reached his name. Edward E. zero Gap Cards, no surprise there. Glancing over at the time clock he saw there was one minute left, with a shrug he walked over and clocked in anyway.

His name badge on and a walkie talkie attached to his jean pocket he made his way out onto the sales floor. Tracking down the closest manager he groaned when he saw that it was Sally Higgins, a bigger bitch was no where to be found in the world. Shuffling over, he ignored the customers swarming the sale section, put blinkers on as he passed the denim wall, and made his way back to the adult cash registers where Sally had already spotted him and turned to get the daily ops board.

"Good, you're here." She did not even look at him as she flipped pages on the board. "You're going to be greeting in concept one for the first hour, work on recovering the floor while you're up there, its still a mess from yesterday. After that you're in the fitting rooms until closing."

He drowned her out after that, feigning interest as she rattled off the monetary goals for the day and went over the promotions that he had heard about a thousand times already. He knew that no matter how many times they asked him to, he would not be informing the female customers of the buy two get one free bra sale in body. After she was finished prattling off his break times he started towards the front of the store. "Oh, and Ed keep watch for shoplifters!"

He turned and gave her a little wave of acknowledgement, but he could not help but think that there was no point in watching for them. It did not matter how much they got away with taking, Gap's no prosecution policy took care of that. All he would be able to do if he saw someone take something was approach them and say something witty like 'Isn't that sweater soft and what a great color. Maybe you'd like a pair of khakis to go with it!'

He had just finished folding one table of shirts and moved to start on the pants folded into the wall when a group of giggling teenage girls walked into the store. "Hi, welcome the Gap. My name's Ed, is there anything I can help you find today?" The overused phrase sounded monotonous even to his ears. The leader of the group turned, looked at him, turned back to other girls following her, and a new fit of squealing giggles erupted. Without saying a word to him, but staring at him through slanted eyes, they made a beeline for the shirts that he had just organized. Without a second thought two of the girls reached into the middle of different piles and pulled out a couple of shirts, destroying the work of the last half hour in less than a second. With a shrug he turned back to the pants that he had just started on, inside he was fuming. Now he would have to work on the stretch T's one more time.

Returning from his lunch break, he started making his way back to the fitting rooms. Seeing the pile of clothes that had piled up in the last hour he emitted a groan of frustration and dread. He had just picked up a pair of jeans when Sally popped her head into the processing area. "Change of plans Ed, you're back up front."

_Damn it!_ _Why the front of the store again, it's so fucking boring!_ He thought to himself. He had the feeling that Sally was doing this on purpose, knowing how much Ed hated to be a greeter. With a resigned sigh, he made the trek back to where all of his work from earlier was messed up again. It was not long before his walkie went static and a voice floated through the air. "All available sales associates to the front of the store." Reaching for his walkie he turned down the volume and went back to folding the clothes in front of him, but now his eyes were flicking over the customers, looking for a sign that they were there to steal some of the merchandise. He noticed two more of his co-workers making their way to the front of the store, answering the code that a shoplifter had been spotted somewhere in their mists.

Rylee made her way over to him, her eyes trained on an over-weight black woman. With a brief nod in the woman's direction Rylee told him in hushed tones that the woman was a regular and to keep a close eye on her. Giving a nod he went back to folding, this time with an eye trained on the woman in the pink t-shirt. He noticed that she was already carrying a bag from Gap, with a soft snort he thought of how ludicrous it all was. She looked up at the sound and caught his eye on her, maybe there was a predatory glint in it because she then turned to her friend and said something in whispered tones. The two women then made their way to the back of the store and into the fitting rooms, with clothes of all different sizes in hand.

Ed went back to his folding, assuming his co-workers would watch her while she was in the back of the store. Then his walkie went off again, "Edward, can I see you at the adult cash wrap please." Giving one last glance around his section of the store he then turned and went to meet Sally. She informed him of a piece of drivel that he could have done without hearing and then he started to turn to return to his post. It was at that moment that the black woman in the pink t-shirt and her friend came out of the fitting rooms. When she saw him looking over at her again she gave an offended bellow and marched right over to him.

Although he was short, though he was loath to admit it, this woman was still several inches shorter than him. It was almost humorous to watch the encounter as she told Edward off for keeping his eye on her. There was a malicious glint in her eyes and silently several of his peers came closer, ready to pounce if the woman had the gall to throw a punch at the golden haired sales associate. The wailing of an old Nickelback song was the only sound in the entire store besides the woman's ranting. When she said her peace she turned to leave. This time Ed and all of the other employees on the adult floor followed her to the exit, not trying to be covert in their stares anymore. As she walked out of the store, everyone except Rylee and Ed went back to work. Those two just stood, holding the door open, and watched her walk down the cement sidewalk. She turned one last time, saw him still standing there and yelled out "Look at the bastard, he's still standing there staring at me!"

Unfortunately that was not the last of the unusual occurrences for Edward that shift. A new manager came on at six to relieve Sally, this time he was put onto the cash registers. He thought he would be forever grateful to Donna for the change in position. Then the man who would be remembered as the one who made Ed snap approached the cash registers. He wanted to return some socks, not a big deal in and of itself, except that he had thrown the socks away after they had supposedly fallen apart as he wore them. The man did not even have receipt for the missing socks. Edward calming tried to explain that he could not return non-existent merchandise, especially without the receipt, when the man asked to see a manager.

Calling Donna over, Edward explained the problem and she tried one more time to tell that man that they could not do what he was asking. When he refused to listen to her, she turned to Ed and asked him to call customer service for the customer. With a shrug he dialed the number that was ingrained into his mind, pressed one for English and two for customer service. When a kind, female voice came over the line he told her who he was and explained the problem that the customer was having, and then he handed to phone over to the man.

Turning back to the line of people waiting to be rung up he put the incident to the back of his mind. He had finished with two customers when he noticed that the man on the phone had become increasingly angry. A few seconds later and the man was apparently put on hold because he then turned to Ed and started conversing with him like they were at Sunday's scriptures. When the man turned back to the phone conversation he was having, another customer approached Ed's register. He was just giving the person their change when the man on the phone's tempter reached soaring heights. He started screaming into the phone, attracting everyone's attention. Ed was just turning to ask the man to calm down, that he was making a scene, when the words "FUCKING CUNT!" rang through the air, followed by the angry clang of the receiver being slammed back into it's cradle. The man then calmly turned to Edward and said "Thank you for your assistance, have a great day" in a sincerely kind tone of voice. Before Ed had the chance to respond to the man's erratic mood changes, his receding form was already out of the store.

Something in his mind snapped, he forgot about the money he needed for rent and groceries. Forgot about the responsibilities he agreed to when he was hired by the Gap. Instead of shaking off the incident, he let his body do what it wanted while his brain shut down. All he felt was anger rolling through him. Then he was in front of the man that had screamed in the store. His hands were clutched in tight fists and his legs were braced beneath him. Before he understood what was happening, his arm was moving, his knuckles connected with the older man's chin. He moved to throw another punch when arms grabbed him from behind and he was dragged back through the glass doors and into the manager's office. It did not take long before he was allowed to walk out the door again, this time as an unemployed eighteen year old.

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Walking down the street, he turned on his Ipod, scrolled through the list of artists, and settled on Green Day. With the music blasting into his ears Ed walked into the post office to pick up his mail. Flipping through the many sized envelopes, he stopped when he saw one that was sent by his university. He was walking down the sidewalk once more when he ripped open the white paper. The other mail slipped from his fingers, his feet stilled on the cement, and his mind did not want to process what he was reading.

_Edward Elric,_

_This letter has been sent to inform you of your dismissal from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill on the grounds of plagiarism. If you wish to appeal this decision please contact the dean of your college within the next three days to set up a hearing._

He read the rest of the letter, but none of it really sank in. Disbelief washed through him as the words plagiarism and dismissed echoed through his head. How was it possible that he was being kicked out of school? He had never plagiarized in his life!

The lyrics to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" warbled into his ears and he thought that the song was ringing true for his life at the moment. All in one day he had lost his job and his education. Bending down he collected the mail that he had dropped, gathering it all in his hands he finally noticed the chill that had infused the early September air. Straightening himself into a standing position he looked to the west and saw the last of the sun's rays slipping past the horizon line. With a sigh he continued down the darkened street.

It took him a few moment to realize that although there were street lights set at regular intervals along the right side of the road, none of them were turned on to reveal the activity below. Looking around he noticed that all of the houses lining the paved aisle were dark as well, that meant that there was most likely a power outage, they had been happening regularly in recent weeks. He prayed to the god he did not believe in that his apartment had not been affected by it.

He took two more steps when a movement to his left caught his attention. Stopping his forward progression, he stared with golden eyes at the figure that was stumbling out of the shadows. It looked like a man, but there was something wrong with the image. Two dark objects were being dragged behind the back that was hunched over. Looking closer Ed could not help but think that the objects seemed to be sprouting from the person's mid-back. The man took one more lurching step forward and then collapsed with a strangled gasp of pain.

Edward took a step towards the man, not sure of what to do, then he saw a growing pool of glistening liquid and thoughts of caution were abandoned. He hurried forward, pulling the headphones out of his ears in the process. It was not until he was less than a foot away from the collapsed figure, ignoring the blood that was slick underneath his feet, when he finally got a good look at the objects that seemed so out of place on the man. There were feathers, an expanse of dark feathers spread behind the prone form. At that moment his brain froze, refusing to believe what his eyes were seeing. Then there was a groan from the man's throat that soon morphed into strangled words. "Please, please, help me…"

Flipping open his cell phone, intending to call for an ambulance, Edward cursed softly when he saw that there was no signal. Shoving the small device back into his pocket, he knelt down, soaking his knee in crimson liquid. The man's face was deathly pale and the dark clothes were speckled with more of life's liquid. Gently he grasped the broad shoulders, turning the larger body as gently as he could. He had to stop the bleeding or the stranger would be dead before any help could be reached. He saw it immediately, an oozing hole in the man's left shoulder.

Another curse escaped from the blonde's mouth as he pulled off his over shirt and wadded it over the wound then tied it on with his jacket. Putting pressure on the makeshift bandage, Edward looked around in desperation for someone to help him. There was no one and everything was black. Looking down again his eyes caught a glint beneath lowered eyelashes. The dark orbs were clouded with pain, but still seemed to be rational. Ed came to the conclusion that there was only one thing he could do, "We have to go back to my apartment, do you think you can stand with some support?"

There was a grunt that seemed to be an affirmation so Ed wrapped his arms around the man's back, his hand brushed against feathers and a shiver passed through his body. He prayed that when there was light he would see that the wings were being supported by some sort of contraption around the man's torso, but he had an idea that was not the case. As slowly and smoothly as he could Ed brought the man's good arm around his shoulders and then gently pulled himself onto his feet, bringing the larger body with him. A sharp intake of breath alerted Edward to the pain that the older man was in. Gritting his teeth, knowing that the other's pain was only temporary, he rubbed his hand in a gentle circle over the other's shoulder.

They moved slowly, taking small steps. Ed was surprised at how light the wounded man seemed to be, the strong muscles shifting beneath his helping hands screamed that there should be more pounds weighing him down. Thinking something about small miracles Ed turned the man into his apartment complex. It was not until they reached the stairs leading up to the small one bedroom apartment that Ed realized their dilemma. Although the man was light, there was no way he would be able to carry him up the stairs and the steps were to narrow for them to walk up them abreast. It took him a moment to figure out the only humane way to conquer the problem. He knew it would be painful for both of them; gently he shifted the position of the man. Apologizing for the discomfort he was about to cause he draped the man's torso over his back.

It took them five minutes to make it up the stairs. Ed had to stop several times to catch his breath and to reposition the way the man way lying over his back. He knew that the injured person was trying to help as much as possible, but in his current state he could not do much. When they finally made it to the third floor landing Ed carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys that were buried below his Ipod.

He led the man straight into the bedroom and gently helped him onto the bed. He then turned and tried the light switch, sighing in relief as the glow of a light bulb flooded the room. Without turning around he walked into the bathroom and grabbed towels and the box of gauze that he kept under the sink.

Adverting his eyes from the objects protruding from his patients back, he approached the bed. It seemed like the man had lost his hold on consciousness, his eyes were closed and his body was not moving except for the steady rising of his chest as he breathed. Ed surveyed the challenge that was taking up his entire bed. No matter how hard he tried he could not ignore the wings any longer. He gulped when he realized that that's what they were, wings. There was a man lying in his bed who had wings. They were black, looked like velvet and, remembering that brief brush of his hand across the feathers, they felt like silk. He still harbored a secret hope that he would find that they were attached by some man-made apparatus.

Walking forward he reached out with a shaky hand and untied his jacket. Pulling away the fabric that had been used as a bandage he grimaced at the sight of the blood soaked jacket the man was wearing. It was hard to tell what color the fabric had started out as, but he guessed that it might have been blue. The cut of the clothes screamed military uniform to Ed, but it was unlike any uniform he had ever seen. Then the bleeding started again and he realized that he was going to have to get the clothing off of the man. He moved forward and reached for the buttons on the jacket with shaking hands.

The garments had slits down the back that made it conveniently easy for Ed to get them off. He gulped when he got to the undershirt and understood that the moment of truth was upon him. He quickly realized that there was no way he would be able to remove the shirt in one piece, reaching over he opened the drawer in his nightstand and grabbed the scissors that he kept there. Carefully he cut the shirt up the front and peeled it off, revealing the smooth skin underneath. He could not help but notice that there was no harness there that would be supporting the wings. Ed could not stop himself for peeking over the man's side and seeing where skin and feathers merged seamlessly just below the shoulder blades.

His brain froze, his breathing stopped, and he could not bring himself to move. The blood drained from his face and his hands began shaking uncontrollably. A gentle hand on his arm made him look down into black eyes that were shadowed with pain and fear that was barely checked. Soft words trembled out of dry lips, "Please, help me. You're my only hope."

The soft plea in the voice brought Ed back to reality. Forcing his muscles to listen to him, he steadied his hand and gently pushed the…angel…angel?...onto his back. Taking a closer look at the wound, relief niggled through him when he saw that it was a clean cut. In fact it looked that someone had stabbed the angel. Grabbing the towel that he had dampened in the bathroom, he started cleaning the blood off from around the wound. It appeared to be a shallow cut, again relief passed through him. Grabbing the box of gauze he took out several pads, pressed them onto the wound, and then wrapped a towel around the man's back, tying it into a knot he sat back with a sigh.

Looking over at the face of his patient he was shocked to see that the man was staring at him with steady eyes. Before he had the chance to say anything the angel interrupted him, giving just a name and then closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Ed gave a soft snort, it been a day for the record books. Walking into the kitchen he opened the fridge and attempted to find something to eat. He grabbed a piece of pizza and a soda, sat down on his sofa, turned on the TV, and muttered, "Roy Mustang, you got a lotta explaining to do."

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A/N: So anyway, this is my first ever AU fic, it's also my first angel-like work, I hope it went okay. Please review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is preferred, but flames are welcome as well.

Wind to thy wings!

-SW


	2. Healings and Missed Meetings

A/N: I changed the name of this fic from _Hidden Angel_ to _Wounded Angel_. I did this because H.A. had never felt quite right to me, but the story had needed a titled before I could post it. I was in the middle of writing this chapter and suddenly W.A. popped into my head and felt right. So I changed it.

Warnings: Roy x Ed pairing, Yaoi, language (darn Ed and his mouth!), and adult situations.

Disclaimer: FMA is not mine, but this story is so don't even think about stealing it!

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Wounded Angel: Chapter 2: Healings and Missed Meetings

Sheets rustled, groans and grunts echoed through the apartment, and two men were covered in sweat. The older man's eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up in pain. The younger of the two, still a teen actually, was biting his fingernails and trying to figure out what to do. When the black haired, Roy Mustang settled from his brief bout of tossing Ed leaned over and looked at the wound one more time. The angry red lines were still there, confirming his suspicion that the laceration was infected. He then looked up at the sick man's face, noted the pale skin and flushed cheeks that screamed out 'FEVER!' Ed had no idea what to do.

He had already tried to pour hydrogen peroxide onto the wound to clean out the infection, but the man had just screamed and flailed his left arm and legs, trying to knock Ed away. He'd tried pouring warm water over it to clean out any bacteria that might still be residing inside, but that failed as well. Now he did the only thing he could think of, he went on-line. Quickly pulling up a search engine he typed in 'infected knife wounds' and got pages of results. Groaning at the sheer amount of information and knowing that most of it would say to seek professional care, he started his trek through the web sites. He found several good ideas but kept searching until his mouse clicked on a wilderness survival site. Jackpot, there were no doctors in the wild to consult so he did not have to worry about that end all, be all advice that was on all the other sites.

He grimaced at the idea of using fresh urine to clean the wound and gagged when he got the part about maggot therapy, but quickly jotted down the directions for those options incase things got any worse. He continued to read and was relieved to find a paragraph on less extreme solutions. After reading through it all he ran for the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth. Turning on the sink he let the water run until little puffs of steam could be seen radiating off of it. Quickly soaking the light blue fabric in the running water he went back out to his patient and placed the square cloth on the angry wound. Ignoring the pained hiss the action induced, he kept the cloth there until it started to cool down to lukewarm. Going back to the bathroom, he soaked it again in the water and kept up this activity for thirty minutes. By the end of it all the man, Mustang, he said his name was Mustang, seemed to have improved slightly. At least that's what Ed told himself.

Noting the man's dry lips Ed stood up and went to the kitchen. Pouring a glass of water he looked at it, golden eyes magnified in the reflection on the cup. With a sigh he brought the rim up to his lip and downed the contents in one gulp, it had been a long two days. Reached over he grabbed another glass and filled it. He was tempted to drink this one as well, but knew his patient needed it more. "Why the fuck does the man have to have wings! If he didn't I could have pawned him off on a hospital now and not have to worry about him!"

He brought the glass up to the man's dry lips, coaxing him into accepting the cool liquid. He finished half of it before turning his head away, unable to drink anymore. With a sigh Ed set the glass on the nightstand and pressed his hand onto the man's forehead. Fire burned up his arm, the man was still feverish. Checking the wound he saw that the red lines looked angrier than they were earlier and the skin surrounding it was puffed and swollen. Grabbing his head, he yelled "Shit, what am I supposed to do?"

He tried everything he could think of to bring down the man's fever and spent an hour scouring the internet for anymore information that might work. It took him a little while before he started to think, _Wait a second, he's an angel, maybe they react differently to things like stab wounds_. It was then that he crossed his arms on the bed, laid his head on top of them and fell asleep while sitting in the chair.

When darkness fell outside a faint blue glow could be seen coming from the bedroom window of a third floor apartment. Inside a small, blond teen fell deeper and deeper into unconsciousness as his energy was slowly drained away. The dark-haired man asleep next to him slowly lost the pallor in his skin as the fever that had been ravishing his body died away. The veins of infection faded from bright red to a pale pink until they disappeared completely. Puffed skin shrank. The poison that had turned the almost minor wound into a life threatening ailment was cleaned out of the man's blood stream. The cut started closing. Then the blue glow that was center around a man named Edward Elric faded away and left the two occupants asleep in the small room.

………..

Roy Mustang awoke the next morning with a head that was clear for the first time since he had come to Earth to search. He remembered that day. _The morning sun was gently warming his cheek, the breeze tossing his hair, and the feel of the grass tickling the end of his wings. He had flapped them once, trying to adjust to the atmosphere of this world. Although the air pressures were similar to those back in Amestris, as a creature of flight he knew the currents of air intimately. To him this new atmosphere was like the touches of a new lover, cautious and bold at the same time, not to mention exhilarating. _

_Then a shadow fell across him. Looking up he saw a silhouetted form descending towards him. Seeing the wings he automatically assumed it was one of his men coming to help him with the search, but then he realized that he did not recognize the outline. The sun did marvelous things when a person was trying to hide their face. It was not until the knife had plunged into his shoulder, the burn of poison coursing through his blood already, that he saw the dark eyes and pale skin of his attacker. As the form retreated, leaving him for dead, he saw the long hair flowing between the dark green wings._

_He had flown to what he hoped was safety before the poison did more damage. Then he took refuge in a treed area. He could see some sort of wide walkway that had homes scattered on either side from his hiding place. The first time a moving box-like contraption speed by, he almost jumped in fear. It took him a minute before his brain caught up and he remembered that they were called cars. They were one of the many things that he had been briefed on before being sent on this mission. _

_Soon the sun started going down. As the darkness fell lights flickered on from the posts that were scattered along the car parkway. After a few minutes of the artificial glow, they flashed once and then went out again. He hardly noticed these things though; the pain from the wound had fogged up his mind, the blood-loss had made him weak, and the poison ravaged what little was left to destroy. It was then that he saw a lone figure walking on the other opposite side of the roadway. Something about the man called to him, told him it was safe to come out. Gathering the last of his will he stumbled forward, his legs not quite functioning beneath him. Fresh waves of pain raced through him as his sensitive wings brushed across the hard bumps that were encrusted into the road. _

_Nausea brought him to his knees and darkness raced across his vision. When the spots cleared he saw golden eyes looking down on him in fear and wonder. Desperation made him act uncharacteristically, opening his dry lips he asked for help. Before he knew it he was being supported by a small body and moving towards a place that would hopefully offer salvation. Then the darkness had descended and taken over his mind. _Now he was awake and feeling like his normal self, the only oddity was the strange bed and room that he found himself in.

Looking around he finally noticed the golden head resting on the mattress next to him. The position that the other person was in looked less than comfortable. He gently shook the bony shoulder, trying to wake the person he assumed had helped him. All that his efforts earned was a muffled moan and an arm stretching out and landing on Roy's lap. He blushed slightly from just where the hand had found its new home, reaching down he moved the limb off of him and back onto the mattress. Then he went back to trying to wake the other occupant, not only to relieve the other's body from the less than comfortable position, but also because he wanted to ask some questions and get the answers that he needed.

When all other options failed, well two more attempts if he was to be honest with himself, he simply pushed the teen off of the bed, counting on his impact with the floor to do the waking. When an angry face did not pop up from the side of the mattress Roy looked over in concern and saw the form still asleep, this time curled up in a ball. Roy Mustang just glared. A grumble in his stomach took his attention off of the sleeping teen and put it on his hunger. Gingerly he attempted to stand and was relieved when his legs did not crumple beneath him. Looking down he muttered something under his breath about the laziness of youth and then made his way to the door, using the wall as support when he needed it. He recognized the kitchen when he saw it, surprised to see that it resembled the ones back home.

Opening the ice box he was disgusted by what he saw inside. There was a box of something that had started out round, but had several triangle shaped pieces missing, the small container of milk was two weeks past its expiration date and still unopened, and the few fruits and vegetables that were hidden in the drawers were soft and rotting. Closing the door on the smell that wafted off of the offending food he turned and started looking in the cupboards that ran along the walls. Pulling out random things to investigate incase they were edible he finally came across a shelf that was lined with boxes. Grabbing one at random he read the front of it, 'Trix' was displayed across the top and a white rabbit was standing next to a bowl full of brightly colored pieced. Opening the box revealed a plastic bag that full of the pieces that were displayed on the cover. Reaching into the bag he pulled out a handful of the substance and threw it into his mouth. Grimacing from the sweetness and artificial fruit flavorings he turned to the sink and spit it out. Reaching for the cupboard that he saw various cups in he pulled one out and filled it at the faucet. He rinsed his mouth out and then turned back to the row of boxes.

Holding an inner debate about whether or not to risk another of the brightly colored boxes, he was about to give up on his quest for nutrients when his stomach gave another rumble. Not wanting to go any longer with the empty organ attempting to chew through his spine, he reached into the cupboard one more time. This time he brought out a yellow box with a bee buzzing cheerfully across the front of it. Grabbing a couple of the small circles called 'Cheerios' he warily placed them on his tongue. After several moments of the granular substance rolling around in his mouth, he decided that they really did not taste that bad and reached back into the box for more. When he had his full of the small morsels he filled his glass with water once more and went back to the bedroom. Hopefully he would be able to awaken the blonde this time.

He stopped and glared at the picture that was framed so nicely by the doorway. There was the pale haired teen that had been sleeping on the floor, he was still asleep now, but somehow he had pulled himself up onto the bed. His sprawl was taking up the entire mattress. Black feathers bristled slightly as pain coursed through the winged man's body; he had overextended his weakened form in his hunt for food. Wanting nothing more than to lie down and rest his weary limbs, he glared once more at the blonde. He had noted the sofa in the other room, it had been strewn with pillows and blankets, suggesting that it was were the offending blonde had previously been sleeping. He did not want to lie down on a sofa though; he wanted to be able to stretch out on the queen size mattress that was only a few feet in front of him, besides it would be awfully uncomfortable for his wings to be scrunched up on the narrow cushions the couch provided.

Stalking forward he contemplated about the ways he might be ably to remedy the situation in a way that would be favorable to him. He crossed his arms over his chest and then let them drop down to his sides when his healing skin was pulled painfully. He could feel the start of a migraine behind his eyes, a result of overexertion no doubt. Cursing himself for being so weak, he gave up on his idea of pushing the bed's current occupant over the side (again), he settled for simply scooting the younger man's body over slightly and then crawling onto the cleared space. Folding his wings around his body, Roy Mustang closed his eyes and hoped sleep would come quickly. He got his wish.

…….

Ed awoke to something soft tickling his nose. Batting his hand at the offending object he was surprised when his digits encountered silky, black feathers. He mind finally woke up and he remembered the events of the last few days, helping to explain just why there was a winged man in his apartment. But it did nothing to explain why the fuck he and the wounded angel were sharing the bed and…wait…was that the angel's arm wrapped around his waist! He scrambled backwards, letting the offending arm slip off of him, until he fell off the side of his bed with a resounding umph. Not giving any heed to his bruised bottom he continued to stare at the black haired man. He watched in wonderment as the man simply rolled onto his side and grabbed Ed's now vacated pillow, clutching it to his chest.

Standing up, Edward rubbed at his sore behind and raised his brow in a quizzical manner. He had no idea how he had ended up in bed with his angel and he figured that he never would know just how it had happened. Wandering out of his room, he made his way into the kitchen for more of the cold pizza that was always on hand. He stopped, shocked once again on this eerie morning, when he saw the state that his kitchen was in. There were cans scattered everywhere and all of the cupboards and drawers were wide open. A box of 'Trix' was knocked over, its insides scattered across the counter and floor. The 'Cheerios' were not in much better shape. Walking over to the sink he found half chewed cereal pieces sprayed across the stainless steel basin. He figured that his angel had gotten hungry at some point of time and had decided that the best way to curb his hunger had been to destroy the entire kitchen. He had just cleaned it too, damn it!

Sighing, he decided to clean the kitchen later and turned to get his pizza from the fridge, hoping that Mustang had not gotten to it as well as everything else. He was relieved to see his week old pizza still sitting where he had left it and grabbed a slice before turning towards his answering machine. The little red light was blinking in a menacing manner. As he bit into a pepperoni, he also pushed the play button. Immediately a robotic voice echoed through the apartment, "You have…7…new messages. First new message:"

The cold, electronic voice was then replaced by his mother's warm one, "Edward, hunny, what's this I've heard about you quitting your job at the Gap? You know that you need that money for your daily expenses. Your father and I are worried about you being alone all the way out there in North Carolina, maybe we'll visit soon. We miss you, so does your brother. Call me when you get this message. I love you, Eddie."

He made a face at his mother's nickname for him as the message ended, and just how had she found out about his job already! That woman amazed him sometimes. Before he could spend anymore time contemplating the wonders of Vanessa Hayworth, the next message began. This time instead of his mother's smooth vocals emitting from the small speaker, it was his brother's soft ones. "Nii-san (a term of endearment Al had picked up somewhere, Ed was not sure why his younger brother always called him by it), why haven't you called mother back yet, she's been moping around the house. I brought a kitten home yesterday; I found her wandering the parking lot at school almost begging to be run over. I couldn't leave her there. Mom yelled at me a bit and then threw the cat outside. It sat there meowing for ten minutes before mom finally let it back in again. Call okay? Bye."

A soft smile played across Ed's face, it was so like his brother to take in any stray animals he might find, just like it was completely expectable that their mom would decide to keep the creature in the end, they both had soft hearts. The next two messages were from friends wondering where he had been over the last few days. Then there was one from one of his ex-coworkers wanting to know the whole 'knocking out a customer' story. The next message was once again from his mother asking for her little Eddie to give her a call, the sound of a cat meowing could be heard in the background. The last message was from a voice he did not recognize, "Mr. Elric, I am calling in regards to the appointment you had set to speak with Dean Richler concerning your reinstatement into the University of North Carolina. This call is to serve as a notice that since you missed that appointment you are no longer a student of this university. An official letter should be arriving in the mail soon explaining all of the details. Have a great day!"

The blood had drained from Edward's face as the message played, the words 'missed appointment' echoed through his mind long after the beep signaling the end of the messages. How was it possible that he had missed his appointment, it was scheduled for tomorrow, the 23rd of April, at ten in the morning, room 253b in the Lenoir building, catty corner to the Graham Student Union. There was no fucking way he missed it, he had remembered it too well. Besides that today was the twenty second, he had lost his job three days ago, contacted the college two days ago, and spent the previous day trying to stave off the angel's infection. There was no way he had lost a day of his life, no possible way. Grabbing the phone and the cursed letter he punched the numbers on the receiver in correlation to the ones that were written on the white paper. After two rings a voice answered, "Dean Richler's office, this is Debbie."

"This is Edward Elric, I'm calling in regards to a voicemail that I received saying that I missed my appointment with the dean." He was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming into the phone.

"Yes, our records show that the appointment was for this morning at ten. You never came. Is there something else that I can help you with?" The finality of her voice sent chills down Ed's spine.

"You must be mistaken, my appointment is for the twenty third, and today is the twenty second. Are you sure that you are looking at the right day on your calendar?" He could not believe what was happening.

"Today is the twenty third and I really don't appreciate your tone. You have a good day Mr. Elric." Before Ed had the chance to respond to what the receptionist had said the line went dead. He did not return the receiver to its cradle until the beeping that signaled a phone was off the hook started going off. His hands were shaking, how could it possibly be the twenty third?

He stumbled towards his computer, powered it on, and then waited until the main page came up. Running the mouse over the clock in the lower right hand corner of the screen, praying that when the date came up it would say the twenty second. Instead a dreaded number flashed up. Desperate to prove the small icon wrong he went online and started scouring every major newspaper website he could think of, all of them confirmed the receptionist's words. He had somehow lost what might have been the most important day of his life. Turning towards his bedroom, not sure what to do about his life now, he was startled to see the angel known as Roy Mustang standing in the doorway.

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A/N: I hope ya'll enjoyed the newest installment of _Wounded Angel_. I'm hoping to get a chapter out every one to two weeks, but I can't guarantee anything because of the demands of school, work, and home life. Plus my mom just started radiation therapy today, so I have yet to see how that will affect everything. Anyway, I've got big things in store for this story and have a good idea of where I want it to go so I should not run into too many problems writing it, like I do with some of my other stuff. Now onto the review responses: 

**Hua-yen**: Thank you and I hope this was not too long of a wait.

**Night Ghost: **:-)

**MIckey**: I must say that yours was a rather energetic review!

**Asahi Minako**: Well thank you for the very encouraging review. Btw I already knew that 'ai' means love, I'm actually taking Japanese classes in school and so proud of myself because I can format some basic sentence like 'the cat is under the desk' (tsukua no shita ni neko ga imasu.) (That was just in case you were wondering).

**Eagle-chan**: I'm glad you liked the idea of Ed working at the Gap. I decided to put him through that torture because I actually do work there, have for almost a year and each day it feels like I lose a little bit of my sanity. An interesting side bar is that the two maniacal events that I made Ed endure (the brazen shoplifter and the bi-polar sock guy) are actually true stories. Both events happened to me, just not on the same day and I did not react in quite the same manner as Ed. ;-)

**Catwwoman47**: Thanks for the review and all of the wonderful suggestions. You'll just have to wait and see what happens though, can't give anything away being the devious writer that I am **:o)**. I was never planning on asking about the extra w in your name, in fact I didn't really notice it until you pointed it out. I figure we all have our little quarks and that just happens to be yours, but I must admit that you did spark my interest with your little p.s. note.

**Lurkinshdws**: I appreciate you reviewing my different stories and I hope you have enjoyed the latest updates for both of them.

Also, I was wondering if people preferred to receive responses to their reviews in the story posting itself, or if they would rather I did it through e-mail. If ya'll would tell me I will start responding in the way that is most preferred. Just make sure to leave an e-mail address if you're an anonymous reviewer, if you don't and I end up responding that way I will be unable to thank you personally.

Also I'm looking for abetaor twofor this fic. I try my best to catch any errors that I might have, but I know that there are some that I miss. If your interested just say so in a review and be sure to leave an e-mail address where I can reach you at. It's a must that you have good grammer skills and are reliable to return a proofed copy within three or four days.

Wind to thy wings!

-SW


	3. Answers and New Discoveries

**A/N:** I'm _soooooo _sorry for the late update, school and work coupled with slight writers block are the culprits responsible. I hope to be getting updates out faster in the future, summer vacation starts in a week and a half! But I'm going to be taking a six-week Japanese class that meets three hours a day, four days a week, so I'm not sure how much free time I'm going to have. Anyway, on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Sue me if you'd like. Its not like I'd lose anything, hell I don't even own the computer that I'm typing this on.

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Wounded Angel  
Chapter 3: Answers and New Discoveries

The angel named Roy Mustang was standing in the bedroom doorway and staring at him with eyes so dark that they looked black. In fact, they matched his wings even to the point of looking blue in just the right light. Edward gasped, the man was beautiful and it was something that he had not noticed before. He gasped again when he looked at the wound; it was easy to see since the angel was still shirtless. All of the angry lines of infection were gone, the puffiness that had surrounded the cut itself had disappeared, and now the injury itself appeared to have shrunken. None of which made any sense. He had no idea what to say, but was determined to break the silence. Unfortunately he opened his mouth before his brain had finished taking in the wonderment that stood less than ten feet away and bafflement was present in his voice, "How? Wha…why…how?"

Roy had no idea what to say in response to the jumbled question. He understood what was being asked though, not by the words themselves, but by the wonderment in his voice. The teen was not asking about his wings or his presence on Earth, but about the miraculous recovery he had undergone. It was something that he did not understand himself, but he felt like a healer had gotten to him. Granted it had not been the strongest of healers, but he still had that headache that came after any length of time spent in a treatment room. He had no desire to show the boy his confusion, though, so instead he just shrugged and looked at the questioner with his famous smug smirk. He lead the teen to believe that it was a secret of his people, one that he was not yet ready to divulge. When he spoke the words were in slightly halted English, something he vowed to work on. "What is your name?"

Edward was taken aback by the question, the anger brought on by that smirk still rolling through him. How dare the man pass his question off like that, he had saved his life! He had not taken him to a hospital where eager scientists would have turned him into their newest research project. It was infuriating to say the least. The simple question had startled him as well, especially since it was spoken in less than perfect English. For some reason he had always imaged that an angel would speak the language perfectly, even sound like a character from one of Shakespeare's plays. It was the shock of it all that made him bark out his response in a tone meant more for an argument with his brother, "Edward."

He was shocked by Edward's tone, why was the boy so mad. After all he had only been smirked at, not hit over the head. He was not sure how to respond, how to thank the teen for the help. He cautiously stepped forward, knowing that the human held the upper hand here. Knowing that until he was strong enough to fly again he needed an ally here on earth and who was better than the person who already knew of his existence. Then he peered closer at the boy and stepped back so fast that he almost fell. Those eyes, that face, they were so familiar. They were slightly lighter and younger than the features that he knew, but they were still unmistakable. Recovering from the initial shock of it all, he rushed forward and grabbed Edward's shoulders so tightly they bruised. "How old are you Edward? How old?"

Fear rushed into the golden eyes, wrinkles of worry graced the smooth brow. Defensive mechanisms Ed did not know he had kicked in and took over his mind, cutting off rational thought. "Eighteen, nineteen in a month."

The black head fell, the shoulders slumped, and the hands loosened on the bony shoulders but did not fall away. Disappointment rushed through Roy, his brief hope that his mission would be accomplished so easily vanished. Too old, not by much, but still too damn old. The resemblance was uncanny and sent a cold shiver down his spine. How was it possible that this boy looked so much like _Him_, but was too old to be the one they sought? Why did fate like to taunt him like this? Then he scolded himself for acting this way, it was just a bump in the road, not a dead end. There was still time, not much, but still some. He rolled his shoulders then, subsequently removing his hands from the teen, and raised his head once more. The black orbs glinted with determination and he prepared his mind for the trial ahead, he was going to get the answers he needed and then he was going to complete his mission. First, though, he was going to have to make Edward trust him enough to help and after his little outburst he had a feeling that it was not going to be an easy task. So he turned on his infamous charm, put on a devastatingly beautiful smile that had wooed so many to become his companion of the night and readied himself for the show of a lifetime. Edward scowled at the man. No matter how many different approaches Roy tried, the teen just did not allow himself to be wooed. It was frustrating to say the least. After growling once, he muttered under his breath, in his own language.

Ed's reaction shocked the winged man. "DID YOU JUST CALL ME A SHORT, HUMAN RUNT THAT'S TOO SMALL TO BE WOOED BY AN ANGEL!"

"I said no such thing, besides that I was speaking in a completely different language!" Why the boy would react in such a way baffled the man. Of course the bafflement could also have stemmed from the fact that he had been calling the teen short and that Ed had picked up on it.

Before either of them could continue the stand-off that they were involved in, the shrill sound of a phone ringing interrupted. Ed glanced over at the handset that was resting in its cradle and cringed when it rang again. He had no doubt that it was his mother. Roy just stood there, looking from Ed to the phone and back again. He could not help but wonder why the teen had such a look of horror on his face, so he did what any sane person would do. He goaded the boy. "Well, aren't you going to answer that?"

The golden eyes sent piercing daggers his way as a response, but the goad worked. Edward slowly started to approach the ringing object. A pale hand reached out and picked up the handset and put it to an ear. A trembling voice cautiously said hello. Then the entire body visibly flinched. After a moment Edward spoke again, "Hey Mom, how's everything in Vegas?"

Roy watched in fascination as Ed relaxed against the counter. It was obvious that this was a common occurrence for the teen, to act so terrified and then so calm moments later. There was a lot of head nodding going on as well, it seemed that Ed's mother was quite the talker. Then Ed tensed once more. A frustrated growl echoed around the room and a hand closed into a tight fist. When Ed spoke it was obvious that he was angry and frustrated, but trying not to sound like it. "Yes, mom, I lost my job, but-" He got cut off in mid-sentence. "Ma-" Happened again. Roy watched in amusement as the teen kept trying to defend himself and was only allowed to get out a syllable or two. Also, besides this interaction being entertaining, it was very informative. He watched as Edward got cowed into submission by his mother and started to get ideas about how to get the answers that he needed. When the blonde hung up the phone and muttered a curse, Roy simply presented a feral smile. Ed just looked at him, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door.

"_Chikusho_(1)! He wasn't supposed to leave."

……..

Ed walked down the street and into Starbucks where he ordered a coffee that he probably could not afford now that he was without a job. He knew his dad would probably transfer some money into his checking account, but that angered him as well. Why was it that every time he spoke with his mother, he always ended up angry after they hung up. The antics of his angel had not helped at all. To think that the man was so pompous and aggravating when he was awake, it made Ed wonder why he even wasted so much time trying to help the man. Right after that thought entered his mind he regretted thinking it. Of course he would help someone in need, even if they can make remarkable recoveries and not want to share just how it happened.

Ed wandered to an outdoor table with his caramel frappuccino and took a seat. It was warm out and he could already feel the humidity against his skin. Taking a sip of his drink, he sighed as the icy cold beverage spread through his body. He continued to sit there and think long after he had finished his drink. His mom had said that the family was going to be coming to visit in a couple of weeks. It seemed that his father had gotten tickets to the Kentucky Derby that was held on the first Saturday in May and since they were going to be only one state away, they might as well come and check up on him. He prayed to the god that he did not believe in that his angel would be gone by the time his parents came to town, he had a feeling that he would not be able to explain the presence of the winged man very easily. It was not until the moon had emerged and the sound of tree frogs croaking created a cacophony that Ed finally gathered enough energy to moved.

He had intended to just return to his apartment and hope that his life did not fall apart any more than it already had when his stomach grumbled and he thought of food. The idea of substance made him think of the current state of his kitchen, which made him wince. So he changed directions and headed to the local Food Lion. Walking the aisles of the brightly lit store, he wondered what kind of food angels liked. He steered clear of the cereal aisle, remembering the half chewed Trix that covered his sink. Instead, he decided that he should go as natural as he could so he grabbed a carton of eggs, some fresh fruits and vegetables, contemplated whether milk would be a good choice, but decided that water would be just fine as he grimaced in distaste. He continued on to get a loaf of bread and some cottage cheese. To the onlooker it would have been humorous to watch the blonde zigzagging back and forth across the entire store. Ed ended his chaotic shopping experience in the frozen food aisle and grabbed some frozen pizzas, breakfast pastries, and T.V. dinners for himself. When he checked out he almost gagged at the price that was displayed on the register's screen and then woefully swiped his debt card. He could not believe that three bags of food could cost upwards of forty dollars.

…..

Walking into the apartment, Ed headed straight for the kitchen and set the plastic bags onto the counter. He looked at his fingers and grimaced in distaste at the red lines that the plastic had left in the knuckle creases. When he looked up and finally saw the condition of everything, he was shocked. The counters practically shined, the sink did shine, all of the food morsels that had previously been scattered were gone, and when he opened the refrigerator he found that not only had all of the old food been thrown out, but it had been scrubbed as well. The sound of a throat clearing caught Ed's attention and he turned to see the still half-naked angel standing a few feet away.

Roy found himself mesmerized by pools of gold. He barely caught himself before he fell head first into something that would be catastrophic. Why was he feeling this way towards the boy, why was he being invaded with a whirlwind of new emotions? His momentary distraction allowed Edward to turn away, ending the moment that had almost existed between the two. The sound of something rustling then caught Roy's attention and he stepped forward to investigate what Ed was doing. Then he saw the food and all other thoughts left him. He cursed himself for allowing his mind to be persuaded into forgetting about everything he had to do, but then again he had not eaten since the disastrous cereal incident the day before. Then he grimaced when he thought of what kind of food the teen seemed to enjoy eating.

It was not until Ed began emptying the last bag that Roy actually started to perk up. There were fruits and bread, his mouth practically started to salivate at the sight of them. He found he could not help himself, he pounced. When he emerged from the kitchen he was happily munching on an apple and ignoring the curses that were coming from behind him. He took another bite of the sweet paradise and then took a seat on the couch. There was a high pitched beeping coming from the kitchen, then the sound of a door slamming. A few moments later Edward emerged, his hair still tousled from Roy running him over to get to the food, carrying a steaming plate, on it was a personal size pizza that had once been frozen. The blonde scowled at Roy before taking a seat next to him.

After a several minutes passed where the only noise was that of food being chewed, Edward rubbed his sweaty palm on his pants and then asked the one question that had been plaguing him since he had first seen the older man, "What, exactly, are you?"

Roy almost choked on his apple, he had known that the question would be coming, but he had not thought that it would be asked so suddenly. He had figured that there would be a lot of feeler questions first, during which he would be able to concoct a partial truth that the teen would believe. So he did some quick thinking while he chewed another bite of apple. Knowing that he had to keep his answers close to the truth without telling too much information, he formatted his answer, "I'm a Colonel in the Armestris military. Also I am one of the Hané no Minzoku, Hané for short. I think that a translation would be People of the Wings, or Winged People."

Edward digested that information and quickly realized that although it told him a lot, it also told him nothing at all. With a frown marring his face, he leaned back, took another bite of his pizza, and contemplated his word choice for his next question. He had to make sure that it left no opening for evasive answers. He contemplated the previous answer for clues; he did note that the military cut of the man's clothes finally was explained. Then a light bulb went off in his head, if the man had been wearing his military uniform, then he had to be here on military business. "What is the reason behind the Armestris government sending you here, to Earth?"

Roy's face remained placid, but he was mentally scowling. How had the blond figured out that he was here on military business, he had been hoping to get by on a flippant answer that consisted of sightseeing and other tourist activities. After all, those would not be complete lies; he had been interested in seeing the sights while searching the planet for his target. He decided to tell the truth, even if it would anger the teen and give away more than he wished to, "I'm on a top secret mission."

Roy smirked at the tick that emerged above the teen's right eye. After all, he had answered the question and still managed to give away no information that might be revealing. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Where are we? I'm assuming that we are somewhere in America, but what part?"

"Hey, who said I was finished asking my questions?"

"I did, now answer me, it's not like I'm asking anything that a runt like you can't answer."

The twitch started up again, hands were balled into fists, and Roy could physically see Edward try to reign in his anger. He failed. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT AN ANT COULD SMASH HIM TO DEATH WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT!"

"I certainly never said that, now answer the question."

"Just don't call me small, bastard, then I would be happy to tell you whatever you would like to know." The tenseness in the shoulders and the anger in the golden eyes belied the calm tone that the words were uttered in. "You're in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by the way."

With that Ed stood up and stalked into the bedroom. Roy almost cringed when the door slammed. He then decided that maybe he would not provoke the teen when he wanted to get information out of him. No matter, he had gotten what he needed. He was in North Carolina, a Southern state. He needed to get to California. That was where his target was last seen. He stretched his wings, testing them, then bite back a curse when pain coursed down all of the fine muscles that allowed him to fly. It would be at least a week before he could attempt to travel across an entire country. Somehow that was not as upsetting as it should have been. With a frown he wandered back into the kitchen and grabbed a banana.

……

Edward was pacing in front of the bedroom window. He was so angry that waves of the emotion could almost be seen radiating off of his body. Then his lips started moving, the words were soft, but filled with heat. "Why are you letting him get under your skin. He has to be at least ten years your senior, but still your heart goes pitter patter at the sight of him. Idiot, idiot, idiot. The man has _wings_ for heaven's sake; there is absolutely no reason for attraction. Besides that, he's a bastard, a fucking military bastard."

Calming his emotions, somewhat, Ed went back into the living area of the apartment. His eyes immediately went to Roy's naked chest and his mouth went dry. All rational thoughts left his mind. He walked up to where the ang- no, Hané, was sitting, planted his hands on either side of the dark hair, then leaned forward and pressed his lips to Roy's. At first there was no response then the soft lips began to move beneath his. Something inside of both men feel into place as the kiss became more heated. Neither one of them noticed the change.

It was Roy who pulled away from the kiss. He ignored the growl that Ed let loose at the loss of contact, before he could allow things to continue he would have to figure out just why the blond had attacked him with such ferocity. Before his thoughts went much further, the teen moved away and Roy felt the loss through his entire being. He could not help it, he frowned. Why was his body acting this way, why would Edward just taking several steps away from him cause these feelings of loss. The idea of a soul-bond niggled at the edge of his mind, he pushed the thought away. There was just no way that he could be bonded to the boy, and a human to boot, the idea was just too ludicrous. There had never been a cross-species bonding in history; it would just cause too many problems for the bonded. Not that it was ever easy to be bonded, he'd seen some of his friends go through the process and sometimes they seemed nothing short of miserable because of it. Roy then asked the only question that seemed sensible, "What was that for?"

Ed snarled at him. Roy could only imagine what thoughts were whirling around the teens mind. He could feel the anger and confusion that was filling the teen's spirit, he could even feel the attraction that was hiding behind the more dominant emotions. Then new ones crept in and began overtaking everything else, hurt and rejection. Roy understood that he was the source of all of this, that Ed thought that he was being rejected. "_Kuso(_2)."

Roy stood up and reached for the blond. He crushed his lips to Ed's and willed the teen to understand that there was no rejection here, just confusion. Again something changed in both of them, it pulsed to life and reached out with greedy fingers. Roy noticed it this time and cursed again. There was no denying it now, they were meant to be soul-bonded. Even as Roy accepted it, he fought against it. There could only be problems and pain and most of them would be Edwards. Roy would be there for him, but that might not be enough. He almost thought that it would be better for both of them if they attempted to reject the bonding, the only problem with that was the likelihood that the rejection would leave both of them dead.

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1: _Chikusho:_ Japanese word meaning damn it

2: _Kuso_: Japanese word meaning shit, sometimes used interchangeably with chikusho

**A/N**: I've decided to use a smattering of Japanese words instead of creating a whole new language; I just don't have enough time to research what letter order might create a sound that correctly represents the meaning that it is trying to convey. That being said I'll put footnotes at the end of each chapter giving the meaning of any new words.

If anyone is wondering about just what a soul-bond is, don't worry, it will be explained more in later chapters. For those of you who don't wish to wait, go read Mercedes Lackey's _Valdemar_ books, the best choice would be _The Last Herald Mage_ trilogy, I'm using her lifebond and Chosen-bond as inspiration.

Wind to thy wings!

SW


	4. Smells Like Smoke

**Warning:** Male x Male pairings, language, and violence

**Disclaimer**: This is a fan fiction website, think about it!

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Roy did his best to avoid contact with Ed after discovering their soul-bond. It was difficult to do in the small apartment, but he managed. Anytime the blonde would open his mouth to speak, Roy would interrupt with a quip about Ed's height. That would always incite an outburst and anger the teen into stomping out of the room, forgetting whatever he had wanted to talk about.

He hated himself for the avoidance, but could not bring himself to allow a confrontation to occur. He was not prepared for it yet. He was not ready to be soul bonded, especially to a male. He was Colonel Roy Mustang, lover of women everywhere. If he returned to Amestris bonded to a human male he would be tormented with bad jokes from all of his subordinates, except for Hawkeye. She would just shoot him.

Roy was pulled out of his thoughts as his sensory system flared. There was another Hane nearby and it was someone he did not recognize. Extending his senses, Roy closed his eyes and attempted to find the other's hiding spot. His eyes sprang open when he realized that the presence was inside the apartment. How had an unfamiliar Hane come so close without him knowing?

Rushing out of the bedroom, he did not allow himself to think. He skidded to a halt in the main room, where Ed had been watching television. Ed was still sitting there and the only thing out of place was the slight grimace on his young face as he rubbed at his back. Roy was not surprised that the teen was having back problems; he had been sleeping on the couch for the last week. As Ed brought his hand back to his lap and gave Roy a questioning look, the winged man checked the apartment once more with his senses and found that the presence had faded to almost nothing. Whoever had been here was long gone now. That did not matter though, if he had sensed them then they had to have sensed him. It was no longer safe here, for both himself and Ed. Not when his greeting on Earth had been a stabbing by a fellow Hane. If the rebels were here, that meant that they knew his purpose and that was the most dangerous thing of all.

He went over and sat next to Ed as he attempted to format a plan. Only one came to mind and he grimaced at the idea. He had a feeling that Ed would not enjoy being forced to join the Hane on Roy's ship. It really did not matter to Roy whether the blonde wanted to be there or not, if it would keep the teen safe, he was going to ensure it happened.

He could still feel Ed's questioning stare as he gathered his thoughts to broach the subject. He turned to start speaking and his obsidian eyes clashed with golden ones. They were eyes he had avoided meeting for the last week and they were filled with pain and confusion. Roy was not an idiot, he knew that he was the one responsible for putting those feelings there. Reaching out, he brushed his fingers across the teen's smooth cheek. He watched, mesmerized, when Ed's eyelids fluttered closed as he leaned into the touch.

Looking at where his hand caressed the tanned cheek, Roy realized what a fool he had been for the last week. He had let fear rule his life, had let it take over his brain and cloud his judgment. Things were difficult, yes, but with that there was also good. There were moments like this, moments when everything else fell away and the connection between them was almost a tangible thing. If just being in the other's presence created this much peace, being soul bonded might not be such a bad thing after all.

…………

Ed savored the feel of the fingers on his face. The confusion and fear that had ruled him for the last week seemed to melt away. At that moment he could have sworn to any higher entity that there was something that connected him to Roy. He knew it seemed ludicrous, even to his own mind, but he could feel it, pulsing between them with a life of its own.

The peacefulness of the moment was shattered when the raven-haired man opened his mouth and spoke. "I have to return to my ship. There have been some disturbing developments. Also, I feel that it's best for you to come with. I have unwittingly put you in mortal danger and cannot in good conscience leave you here defenseless."

"WHAT? Oh hell no, there is no way I'm going to follow you to some angel ship just because you think that I'm in danger here!"

Roy just looked at him, one eyebrow raised in a cocky manner. He did not say a single word; just keep his gaze steady and determined. Ed stared right back, refusing to back down. His golden eyes sparked with anger and an emotion that was distinctly Edward, it was unnamable, but unmistakable. The more time stretched the more the blonde's determination grew, he did not want to show weakness that would only help set him up for defeat later.

Roy gave him one last look, then released his breathe on a long sigh. "Fine, if you do not wish to come with me then I will respect that."

Somehow Ed did not trust the older man's words.

……….

It was late when Roy quietly approached the sleeping blond. He took a moment to just look down at the soft brow and stubborn chin of his mate, he memorized the way that the golden hair fanned out across the pillow. The attractive face was calm and the lips were parted as soft whooshes of breath escaped to flutter across the pillow beneath him. He memorized it all before he reached down and gently rested his hand on the tan forehead.

"Please forgive me for this, Edward." He whispered softly. Just before he allowed his powers to run through his arm and out of his finger he could see the glint of gold flutter briefly before the eyelids closed completely and the teenager slipped into a state of suspended unconsciousness. He then gathered the limp body into his arms and walked out the door. When he was clear of the buildings he uncurled his midnight wings and took to the sky.

If Ed had not been in his arms he would have done several twists and turns, simply for the joy of it. For a creature born to fly, he had been land locked for far too long and the feeling of being in the air again unlocked the child that he kept hidden inside. Responsibility took over and instead of letting out a shout of pleasure; he angled his body towards the heavens. With steady wing beats he followed his senses to where his ship and his crew where waiting for him.

It took him four hours of hard flying to make it to the cruiser. It was in a small clearing, surrounded for miles by trees. He landed as gently as he could, but it was jarring enough to cause Ed to squirm in his arms and mumble something, probably an explicative, before Roy reached down and renewed the spell that he had placed on the teen earlier in the night. He then stepped forward and keyed in the code on the panel by the door.

It took a few moments, whoever was onboard must have been sleeping, but eventually a voice sounded from a small speaker. "Well hey there Colonel, whatcha got there in your arms?" Then the small door popped open and allowed access into the small vessel.

When Roy stepped inside his nostrils were immediately assaulted by cigarette smoke. That meant that Havoc had been left in charge, and if that was the case Hawkeye could not be far away, she knew what a sloth Jean tended to be when he went unsupervised. Before heading into the control room to activate the signal to return for the rest of his team he went into his quarters and deposited Ed onto the small bed.

As soon as he entered the brain of the ship the smell of smoke doubled. He gave the blond man that seated inside a pointed look. Booted feet where quickly removed from the top of the control board and a cigarette was snuffed out. "Call the others back, our position has been compromised and we have to get out of here."

With an ironic twitch of lips now holding an unlit cigarette, the man gave a quirky salute and followed the orders before turning back to the raven haired colonel and breaking into a large smile. "Good to see you Roy-Boy."

"I thought I told you to cease with that silly name Jean." Regardless of his irritation, he could not help but enjoy being in the company of one of his friends, instead of an annoying teenager, even if said teenager is his mate.

"So, does us having to move out have anything with the little blonde that you carried onboard? From what I could see, she looked cute."

Roy had to fight back a snarl, he had heard that extreme jealousy came with being soul-bonded, but he had not expected such offhanded comments from his friends to have this kind of effect on him. His blood was roaring through his veins, he unconsciously clenched his hands into fists. He had to close his eyes and count to twenty before the feelings dissipated enough for him to look at Jean without hate in his eyes. When the feeling finally passed, he shuddered once and briefly stretched his winds. He then ignored his subordinate's questioning look and answered the without giving too much information away. "Not entirely, but I did sense another Hane's presence near me today and after being stabbed and poisoned when I first landed to start my search, I feel that we need to disappear for at least a short time."

"Shit Roy, what do you mean you were stabbed!? Was it by one of the humans? Was it that girl?"

"No, it was another Hane, but not the one I sensed earlier. The one who attacked me had dark green hair and wings, that's all I saw before the poison started sinking in. The person I brought healed me somehow, I'm not quite sure what happened there, but I am thankful to whatever it was."

The conversation was interrupted when a buzz sounded through the air. Both men reached out with their senses and felt Hawkeye and Brenda waiting outside the door. It took another hour until the rest of his team arrived, but eventually Falman came in, looking as stern as always, and they could finally take off. Once they were in route to headquarters, located somewhere in the starry sky above them, Roy wandered into his quarters to check on Edward.

**

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A/N: I know, I know, much too long since I last updated. I have no excuses, so you can commence with the flogging! I hope to update with more regularity from now on, so cross your fingers. I would cross mine except that would make it awfully hard to type ;-p**

Wind to thy wings!

Phoenix


	5. Awake

A/N: One year later and I'm finally updating. I really hope this does not become a bad habit. I don't know where the time has gone, I can hardly believe that it really has been 365 days since I last visited this story. I never forgot about it though and I must say that everybody's support for this story has definitely made this chapter possible, so thank you.

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist does not belong to me.

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Wounded Angel: Chapter 5

The first thing Ed noticed when he woke up was how soft his sofa had become and how much wider it was then he remembered. Stretching out his arms he felt open air, no cushions. He did not want to open his eyes, so instead he began to search the area with his hands.

He quickly located the edge of he mattress and traced it with his fingers until they met a solid mass covered in hair. He grabbed a hold of a large chunk and opened his eyes. Then he yanked.

"OW! Damn it, that hurt!" The scream was accompanied by a narrowed eyed glare.

Ed ignored Roy in favor of examining the room. He was on a bed situated in one corner. The mattress was on a platform that extended a foot in all directions, explaining why he had not been able to feel the wall to his left. On the opposite wall there was a door and a dresser, the only other furniture in the small room. On the back of the door was a full-length mirror. A single floor lamp stood next to the bed. Currently it was dimmed, creating menacing shadows in the other corners. There were no windows and the lack of them reminded Ed of a prison cell. "Roy, where the fuck am I?"

"You are on my ship, in my quarters to be more specific." Roy rubbed his head as he spoke, "Did you have to pull so hard?"

"Yes, I think that I did." For that second Ed's eyes remained calm, then they changed and became pools of golden fury, "What do you mean I'm on your ship? I thought that we agreed that I would stay at my apartment."

"No you said that you did not want to come with me. I merely told you that I respected your opinion, not that I would follow it."

Edward worked his jaw in frustration for several moments before responding. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"I mean that although it was your wish to stay behind, I could not leave you there unprotected. Since I do not have any means to protect you there, I had to bring you here."

"You realized that what you did is called kidnapping, right? I could have you thrown in jail for this!"

Whatever Roy was going to say in response was interrupted when the door banged open. "I heard yelling, just wanted to make sure you were having a good time with your –wait, she's a he!"

"Havoc I thought I told you not to smoke on board!" Roy was practically roaring and he was not sure if he was more upset with Edward, Havoc, or himself.

"Ahhh, right Boss, sorry Boss." The lieutenant quickly snuffed out his cigarette and for once did not take out a new one to hold between his lips. He was more than a bit shocked at the colonel's outburst. It took him a moment to gather up his courage before speaking again. "When did your girl turn into a guy Roy-Boy? I thought you didn't swing that way."

"Ed has always been a male, Havoc. He did not just change genders." Jean's pole axed expression helped to sooth Roy's temper and even allowed some smugness to creep in.

"But you're bonded! Don't tell me that I got that wrong as well because I can see the line connecting the two of you."

The small bit of smugness that had begun to fill Roy crashed away at Havoc's words. He filled the loss with a scowl. He did not want Ed to know about the bond yet. He was not sure how the teen would react to the news so it was with a bit of trepidation that he looked towards the bed and its occupant. His fears, it appeared, were unnecessary.

Ed had scrambled into the farthest corner of the bed. His eyes were wide and fixed on Havoc. His mouth was hanging wide open and his chest was heaving sporadically with lots of quick, shallow breaths. "He…he…he has w-wings!"

Roy laughed; he could not stop himself, "If case you have not noticed, I do two." As if to emphasize his point he stretched out the black feathers.

Ed's eyes were still big when he focused on Roy, "I know that, but so does he. Holy shit, you really are a different species!" There was fear in his eyes.


End file.
